Many chemical warfare agents have been developed and stockpiled. Examples of several lethal chemical warfare agents include blister agents such as sulfur mustard and nerve agents. Sulfur mustard is commonly known as mustard gas and includes nitrogen sulfur compounds and chlorinated sulfur compounds. Distilled mustard (i.e. “HD”) is the most common formulation of mustard gas. Nerve agents are a class of organophosphates which disrupt the transfer of nerve messages to organs. Nerve agents are divided into two classes: G-series nerve agents and V-series nerve agents. Examples of some nerve agents respectively in the G-series and the V-series include soman (i.e. “GD”) and VX.
Current decontamination procedures for removal of such chemical warfare agents from the exterior surfaces of vehicles, such as aircraft, typically employ the following three-step process: 1) pre-washing the exterior surfaces with soapy water to remove dirt; 2) applying a decontaminant composition to the exterior surfaces to remove chemical warfare agents; and 3) rinsing the exterior surfaces. While soapy water provides a basic means to physically remove chemical warfare agents from such exterior surfaces via a two-step process (e.g. involving washing the exterior surfaces with soapy water to remove dirt and chemical warfare agents and rinsing the exterior surfaces), such dual-use soaps have not been developed or effectively fielded.
Accordingly, ongoing needs exist for alternative cleaning compositions and methods for decontamination.